Menstrual disorders are a common challenge for many women, impacting not just physical health but emotional well-being as well. These disorders can manifest in various forms, including irregular cycles, excessive bleeding, or severe pain. Understanding the different types of menstrual disorders and their treatment options is essential for managing symptoms and improving quality of life. Let’s delve into the most common menstrual disorders and explore the available treatments.

Facts about Menstrual Disorders

• 40% of people who have irregular periods report having a period pattern that is so severe that they have missed school or work
• 90% of people who menstruate say they experience various symptoms, including excessive bleeding, headaches, and more
• More than 50% of people who menstruate say they experience pain during their period

What Is Menstrual Disorder?

Menstrual irregularities are common abnormalities of a woman's menstrual cycle. Menstrual irregularities include a variety of conditions in which menstruation is irregular, heavy, painful, or does not occur at all.

Causes of Menstrual Disorders

• Structural issues
• Pregnancy-associated
• Hormonal and endocrine
• Hematologic and coagulation disorders
• Hypothalamic ovarian insufficiency: Psychogenic stress, anorexia nervosa
• Pituitary causes: For instance, acromegaly - increased somatotropic hormones (STH)
• Cushing's disease: impaired cortisol rhythm
• Ovary: polycystic ovary
• Thyroid: hypothyroidism: anovulatory cycles and dysfunctional bleeding
• Hyperthyroidism: hypomenorrhea/ oligomenorrhea
• Adrenal: Cushing's syndrome: impaired cortisol rhythm

Common Types of Menstrual Irregularities Include:

• Amenorrhea: Amenorrhea is a term describing the absence of a woman's menstrual period during the age when the woman is of reproductive age.

Note: Pregnancy and lactation can cause Amenorrhea.

• Primary amenorrhea is diagnosed if the absence of menstruation by the age of 14 years, the lack of growth or development of secondary sex characteristics, or no menstruation by the age of 16 with or without growth or development of secondary sex characteristics.
• Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation for six months or more or for a period equivalent to that of the previous three consecutive cycles in a woman who was previously menstruating.
• Dysmenorrhea: Dysmenorrhea is chronic, cyclic pelvic pain associated with menstruation. Typically, it is cramping lower abdominal pain occurring just before and during menstruation. It is the most common gynecologic disorder. Approximately 20- 90% of women suffer from this problem during their reproductive age.
• Menorrhagia: Menorrhagia, which affects a woman's physical, mental, social, and material quality of life, is an excessive loss of menstrual blood over several consecutive cycles. For women of reproductive age, the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia.
• Oligomenorrhea: Oligomenorrhea is the term for menstrual bleeding that occurs more frequently than 35 days apart and stays stable at that frequency.
• Polymenorrhea: Polymenorrhoea is defined as cyclic bleeding where the cycle is reduced to an arbitrary limit of less than 21 days and remains constant at that frequency.
• Menorrhagia: Excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with a woman's physical, emotional, social, and material quality of life and which can occur alone or in combination with other symptoms.
• Dysfunctional uterine bleeding: It is abnormal bleeding from the uterus in the absence of organic disease of the genital tract. It is characterized by dysfunction of the uterus, ovary, pituitary, hypothalamus, or other parts of the reproductive system. The pattern of bleeding is mainly heavy & regular (menorrhagia), but it could be irregular uterine bleeding or intermenstrual bleeding.

Diagnostic Approaches

Accurate diagnosis is critical to effective treatment. Healthcare providers typically begin with a detailed medical history and physical examination. Diagnostic tests such as blood work, pelvic ultrasounds, or endometrial biopsies may be used to identify underlying conditions.

Treatment

It depends on the cause and age of the patient and the condition they are suffering from:

• Medical care with pharmacotherapy
• Estrogen causes vasospasm of the uterine arteries to decrease bleeding
• Cyclic progesterone or long-acting progesterone
• Oral contraceptives regulate the cycle and suppress the endometrium
• NSAIDs inhibit prostaglandin
• Iron replacement

Nursing Management

• Asking for adequate sleep, rest, and exercise can also effectively treat irregular menstruation.
• Women who experience heavy bleeding usually have to restrict their activities when they are menstruating. However, following the proper menstrual flow treatment can significantly control this problem. Women can take specific steps to reduce menstrual flow during a period, such as lying down with their legs elevated or placing a cold compress on the abdominal area.

When to Seek Medical Attention

It's essential to consult a healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:

• Severe menstrual pain that disrupts your daily routine
• Excessive menstrual bleeding that soaks through one or more pads or tampons every hour
• Menstrual cycles that are consistently irregular or absent
• Symptoms of PMS or PMDD that severely impact your mental or emotional health

Most women avoid consulting medical health care providers for menstrual problems treatment unless the problem gets out of hand and starts affecting them in a very severe manner. Many women suffer from a lack of knowledge and do not even realize that they are going through severe menstrual problems, which could be an indication of an underlying health condition that needs to be treated without any delay. Therefore, women need to realize that these menstrual problems will not just go away on their own unless some sort of treatment is administered.

Conclusion

Menstrual disorders are a common issue, but they don’t have to be a life sentence. With the correct diagnosis and treatment, many women can manage their symptoms and enjoy a better quality of life. If you're experiencing irregular, painful, or heavy periods, it's important not to ignore the signs. Menstrual problems can significantly affect your quality of life and may indicate underlying health issues. Dr. Sangeeta Dubey offers compassionate and expert care to help diagnose and manage your menstrual health concerns.

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Sangeeta Dubey today to take control of your menstrual well-being.